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1973 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

1973 Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Nebraska Cornhuskers logo.svg
Cotton Bowl Classic champion
Cotton Bowl Classic, W 19–3 vs. Texas
Conference Big Eight Conference
Ranking
Coaches No. 11
AP No. 7
1973 record 9–2–1 (4–2–1 Big 8)
Head coach Tom Osborne (1st year)
Offensive coordinator Tom Osborne (5th year)
Offensive scheme I formation
Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin (1st year)
Home stadium Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1972
1974 →
1973 Big 8 football standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   T     W   L   T
#3 Oklahoma $ 7 – 0 – 0     10 – 0 – 1
#7 Nebraska 4 – 2 – 1     9 – 2 – 1
#18 Kansas 4 – 2 – 1     7 – 4 – 1
#17 Missouri 3 – 4 – 0     8 – 4 – 0
Oklahoma State 2 – 3 – 2     5 – 4 – 2
Colorado 2 – 5 – 0     5 – 6 – 0
Kansas State 2 – 5 – 0     5 – 6 – 0
Iowa State 2 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll
#10 UCLA at #4 Nebraska [box score]
1 2 3 4 Total
#10 UCLA 6 7 0 0 13
• #4 Nebraska 14 6 6 14 40
#14 NC State at #2 Nebraska [box score]
1 2 3 4 Total
#14 NC State 7 0 7 0 14
• #2 Nebraska 0 7 3 21 31
Wisconsin at #2 Nebraska [box score]
1 2 3 4 Total
Wisconsin 0 7 0 9 16
• #2 Nebraska 7 0 0 13 20
#2 Nebraska at Minnesota [box score]
1 2 3 4 Total
• #2 Nebraska 7 14 13 14 48
Minnesota 7 0 0 0 7
#2 Nebraska at Missouri [box score]
1 2 3 4 Total
#2 Nebraska 6 0 0 6 12
• Missouri 0 6 0 7 13
#18 Kansas at #11 Nebraska [box score]
1 2 3 4 Total
#18 Kansas 0 3 6 0 9
• #11 Nebraska 7 0 0 3 10
#10 Nebraska at Oklahoma State [box score]
1 2 3 4 Total
#10 Nebraska 10 0 7 0 17
Oklahoma State 10 7 0 0 17

The 1973 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

The Tom Osborne era at Nebraska began in style, as the Cornhuskers exacted revenge for last year's loss to UCLA by beating the #10 Bruins in Lincoln 40-13. Nebraska jumped out to a 14-0 lead in less than 10 minutes, and though UCLA scored to come within 7, that was as close as they'd get for the rest of the game as the Blackshirts shut out the Bruins entirely in the 2nd half.

It was touch and go for Nebraska as the Cornhuskers fought to stay even with NC State until blowing the game wide open in the 4th quarter with three straight unanswered touchdowns.

Wisconsin fought Nebraska to a 7-7 tie entering the 4th quarter before pulling ahead by 3 on a field goal with 8 minutes to go. The Cornhuskers replied with a touchdown, which was promptly answered by a 96-yard Badger kickoff return to put Nebraska behind again. Nebraska again responded, marching 83 yards in just seven plays to score again for the win.

Minnesota QB Tony Dungy managed to get a 1st-quarter touchdown, and that would be the last time the Golden Gophers saw the scoreboard, as the first Minnesota sellout since 1960 (with help from the numerous traveling Cornhusker fans) watched Nebraska dismantle the Gophers 48-7.

Missouri handed coach Tom Osborne his first career defeat as Nebraska's 2-point conversion for the win with 1:00 remaining was intercepted, marking the first time Coach Osborne decided to forgo the tie and take a shot at the win, an approach later repeated to much attention in the 1984 Orange Bowl.

Kansas avoided the 1st half shutout on a recovered Nebraska fumble converted into a field goal. The Jayhawks then came out from halftime and continued to hold off Nebraska while putting in their own touchdown late in the 3rd to pull ahead, though the PAT was blocked. Less than five minutes later, Nebraska responded with a field goal to pull ahead by 1 point, where a tie would have existed had the previous Kansas PAT attempt been good. From there on out, the Blackshirts held on for the rest of the quarter to preserve the razor thin winning margin.


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